-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. Justice Department is suing the state of California and Gov. Jerry Brown because prison authorities required a Sikh prison inmate to cut his beard .

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday on behalf of Sukhjinder Basra , an inmate at prison in San Luis Obispo in central California .

It said that the requirement violated the man 's right `` to practice his religion '' under the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act -LRB- RLIUPA -RRB- .

In the Sikh religion , which originated in northwestern India , unshorn hair is an article of faith .

The Justice Department said the suit followed a probe `` that revealed that California 's inmate grooming policy substantially burdens the rights of an inmate to practice his Sikh faith . ''

`` The rights guaranteed by the Constitution extend to all people in the United States , '' said Andre Birotte Jr. , U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California . `` By protecting those rights -- even for those incarcerated -- we strengthen those rights for all . ''

The state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation was also named in the suit .

RLUIPA , which became law in 2000 , protects the religious freedom of people `` confined to institutions such as prisons , mental health facilities and state-run nursing homes , '' the Justice Department said .

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Justice Department says the inmate has the right to practice his religion

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The inmate grooming policy burdened the inmate 's religious rights , Justice said

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`` Even those incarcerated '' have the right to practice their religions , an attorney says